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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: craft · face · pop · season · board · snap · spell · cabinet

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. season — of the year
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. face — to confront
  6. board — a committee
  7. face — to point toward
  8. board — to get on
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — music
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pop — to visit
  15. craft — a skill
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. spell — letters
  19. snap — to click
  20. spell — magic
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. spell — a short time
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com